sweet little things

It's a clear, crisp morning here, and I just discovered our tomatoes are finally turning red! (yipee!) I was beginning to think I was going to have to learn how to make Green Tomato Pie. I'd been eyeing the recipe in my Fanny Farmer Baking Book (page 87) for awhile now. Maybe you have been too. Not a great year for tomatoes I hear. Apparently, this pie taste nothing like tomatoes after the addition of raisins and spices. One of these days I'm going to have to give it a try.

But even with the sunshine here in the Willamette Valley, there's definitely an autumn nip in the air. Time to pull out our light sweaters and jeans, cozy plaid flannel shirts--and the lap quilts. I was digging through my closet and found this one I made way back in 1994. I wouldn't have remembered that, except that I signed and dated it on the back. For that I am giving myself a little pat on the back, however, I must credit one of my quilt teachers, Evie Stonewall, for repeatedly saying in class, "Always sign and date your quilts ladies, for the day will come when you'll appreciate it more than you know, and so will the ones who inherit it." She was right, of course, and this proves it.

I love this quilt and don't know why I never shared it before. It's nice for these cool evenings reading (or stitching) curled up somewhere. Or just sitting out on the porch watching a golden sunset. BTW, this pattern makes a fantasic "man-quilt". Especially when done in muted tones and plaids and stripes like this. Perhaps made from his old shirts if you have them. Mine is made from cotton scraps and good quality unbleached muslin. Lined it with 60" wide heavy cotton flannel; the backing is also unbleached muslin that is cut a little larger than the quilt top, then turned over twice and stitched to the top to make a self-edging. It looks really nice if you mitre the corners with a bit of blind stitching just inside the folds.

Joseph's Necktie is easy piecework and goes together quickly, but should not to be confused with "Bow-Tie" which requires a square in the middle and can be a bit fussy to sew. For example, here's a good tutorial for that one here. See the difference? Anyway, I did a bit more digging in my pattern files and found the pattern I used, then turned it into a PDF that you can print out and use if you like. Follow this link: Download JOSEPH'S NECKTIE QUILT BLOCK.

. . . And what better time for a blog remodel to usher in the new season! What do you think of my new digs? If you are viewing from afar via subs--please, come on outta there and see what's shaking in the real world. Come sit a spell on my front porch. I've got it all gussied-up for Fall. Make yourselves at home. Have some hot cider and homemade pumpkin bread. Listen to the wind in the trees, watch the leaves drift along. Breathe in the crisp cool air. Just holler if you need anything. I'll be deep in the bunkers here at PatternBee Headquarters, that little room at the back of my house where all the FUN happens. (smile) The dust is settling and I'm slowly hooking back up. Very soon the website and printers will be happily buzzing along again too. Everything should be in order and organized for a seamless re-entry before the shop doors open again October 1st. I'm almost ready, keeping my fingers crossed. Other shop news:: My two crafty girls Grace and Ginger, have been busily making things throughout the summer and are now, as we speak, "stocking the shelves" of their Etsy shop. I'll share the link when they are ready. It's their call. I may even add a few things now and then. I tell ya, it's all very exciting!

As I write, a pair of deer just sauntered in and are grazing outside my window. Their darker coats are just another sign that fall is here and winter's not far off. Time to get cracking!

After a wonderful whirlwind summer, I'm finding balance in the slower pace. Gone is the happy chatter and pitter patter of little feet around here. Oh, how we miss that. We had all fallen into a comfortable routine with our two young granddaughters as they spent their days with us. Then, the oldest went back to school a couple of weeks ago, and we've just had the one three year-old keeping us entertained and on our toes since then. But our time together went by too fast. Soon she will be joining her little friends and heading off to pre-school and new adventures. I've started a book project to chronicle our summertime together; the places we went, the things we did. I plan to make gifts of them at some point in time. Memories to be cherished always.

In their absence, the house seems remarkably quiet just now. But I have these gorgeous dahlias keeping me company for the time being.

And another bunch. . . sweet gifts of appreciation from tiny loving hands and open hearts.

Ushering in a new season, we now have a change of scenery on the hall table. Beeswax candles and pinecones! The watercolor was painted by Ginger; it's a portrait of her pet hampster "Marshy" (that's short for Marshmallow). He's munching a pumpkin seed. Love that little guy!

Thank you so much for the comments about the State Flower Quilt. It feels great to have that project finished and folded away like a pressed flower too. I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out and I'm pleased so many of you have enjoyed this project in one form or another. I look forward to seeing more of your finished quilts in the future. (Don't forget to send me links to your blog posts or pictures if you can manage it.)

What's next? Well ladies, I need to literally unplug all of my machinery for a while and tackle some house projects and try and visit some festivals. Please take note: the PatternBee website will be closed from the 18th through the 30th of this month. After that, autumnal activities will be in full swing and I'll be back with bells on and a new bonus stitchery for October! Here's a sneak peek:

Without fanfare or further ado...I am so excited to show you my finished State Flower Quilt. This was a long project that began in the fall of 2009; the stitching didn't actually begin until March 2010. And whooosh---here we are 18 months later! (Oh my, has it really been that long?) Anyway, I'm very happy with how it all turned out. I posted more pictures here. I hope they inspire you somehow. Enjoy!

(If you are just coming on board--the backstory and all the various links to things related to this project are featured here.)

Wasting no time, we somehow went from pickling to pressure canning over the weekend! Maybe that's a huge leap or just a natural progression--but I've been thinking about it for awhile now for a number of reasons. But, a sink full of beans picked fresh from the garden is a pretty good one don't ya think? I used this canner, and it seemed absolutely enormous when I set it on my stove. A bit scary, really. My confidence may have wobbled just a little. Oh yes, it wobbled. I contemplated returning it for a smaller pot, but in the end I was satisfied it was the right choice. I spent an hour (or more) reading through the instruction booklet, thoroughly fixing every safety detail in my mind until my confidence peaked. My older girls were completely on board, excited even, and helped pick, prepare, and pack the beans. After a couple of hours we had 10 pint jars ready for the pot and all ten jars fit inside with ease, so we only had to process once. That's the moment when I decided it was the right choice. When the jars came out and the lids popped in quick succession, we just stood back, arms linked, happy we'd accomplished something so wonderful and worthwhile. Something perhaps our ancestor pioneers just took for granted as a way of life.

My very first experience making sweet pickle relish turned out to be so easy and delicious, that I have to wonder why I never made it before. After researching a few recipes in my old cookbooks and online, I decided to try a basic relish. If you've never made it, here's a quick rundown, proving how simple it is. First, gather about 4 lbs. of large pickling cucumbers, plus two green and one red bell peppers, and a sweet onion. (Peels are left on cucumbers; core peppers, and peel onion--do a rough chop.) Add all to food processor and pulse-chop fine--but be careful not to turn it into "mush". I did this in two batches. Pour vegetable mixture into a large stainless steel bowl with 1/2 cup of kosher pickling salt ( I use Diamond brand) and cover with boiling water. Let mixture soak for 1 to 2 hours. Later, in a large stainless steel soup pot I added: 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 5 cups of raw organic sugar, 1 tsp. mustard seeds, 1 T. of cornstarch, and 1 tsp. tumeric for that lovely golden color. This is simmered and stirred until the sugar dissolves completely. Drain cucumber mixture, rinse once and drain again. Add it to the pot and bring back to a boil. Cook down for about an hour. Wash and sterilize six 1/2-pint jars during that time. I just used ordinary jam jars for this in order to process the relish for long-term storage. (Processing time varies according to your altitude--check with your local food extension service for canning specifics.) Small batches will keep just fine in the fridge for several weeks without processing though.

That's it! But I didn't stop there. . .

After the success with the sweet relish, and the discovery of many more dainty cucumbers hanging on the vines--I went on to make 'Bread & Butter' pickles the next day. This was basically the same simple process, with a twist. The sliced cucumbers and onions soak in an icy salt-water bath for two hours, instead of a hot one. A sweet and spicy brine is heated up, made with vinegar, sugar, tumeric, mustard seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, celery seeds, whole allspice berries, whole cloves, and a cinnamon stick. After soaking, the cucumbers and onions are drained, rinsed, and added to the pot. The mixture is brought back to a boil; then hot sterilized jars are packed with a slotted spoon, and the spicy syrup is poured over the top. Jars are sealed and processed as usual, or may be stored in the fridge for up to a few weeks without processing.

Our backyard garden had its struggles this year. Some success and some failures. For instance, we did not get one single solitary "red" tomato yet from the dozen or so different varieties we planted. So disappointing. I guess it was the same for a lot of folks from what I hear. In early spring, Grace had very patiently and carefully started the seeds indoors under a gro-lite to give them plenty of time to mature. Because, after all, this is the northwest--not exactly tomato growing country and experience has taught us a few things. When it came time to move them into the greenhouse we were hopeful because we've had such good results in the past. Only this time they failed to thrive. Our summer (mostly) consisted of cloudy days, sprinkled with warm days, and cool nights. They just lost their momentum.

However, on the other side of the garden, we had peas, carrots, beets, celery, and a variety of amazing salad greens that we picked daily to round out our meals. Wonderful "cool crops" all summer long.

Here is our wall of green beans that we are enjoying now. The Mister added a lot more vertical growing space along with the raised-bed boxes, for which he got the biggest KISS of appreciation from me! It's been fantastic for the pole climbers like these. And saves my knees.

Just look at the LOVE in those beans.

The biggest surprise came in the form of the pickling cucumbers though. Like the tomatoes, they took their time. After many weeks had come and gone with little change, I just figured the vines probably weren't going to do anything and gave up. Once I turned my back on them though, just look what they did. Sneaky things. These are supposed to be small. They weighed in at over a pound each! Which reminded me of the pickles my Grampa would buy for a quarter, back in the 60's when I was a little girl. Those gigantic pickles were kept floating in brine in a big wooden barrel at the neighborhood deli. My Grampa would fish one out, wrap a paper towel around it and hand it over to me like I had just won the lottery! No wonder I have such a fondness for pickles. They are the grand prize!

But anyway...I looked at these awesome cukes and wondered what to do with them. No wooden pickle barrels handy. My canning jars were too small. However, I did just happen to have an empty gallon-jar sitting on my kitchen counter and that gave me the idea of making a smaller version of the "pickle barrel". So, those cucumbers got quartered and stuffed into the jar with 1/4 tsp. white peppercorns, 5 sliced garlic cloves, several sprigs of fresh dill, and bathed in brine--and voila!

These are basically 'refridgerator pickles'. No processing necessary. And--after only three days--the pickles are ready to eat. So good. Crunchy Dills at their finest. (I'm using a small butter dish to cover the top here because I was afraid the vinegar and salt brine would rust the metal lid.) For the brine, I used 6 cups of water, 2 cups of distilled white vinegar, and 1/2 cup pure pickling salt. Heat to a boil and pour over all ingredients in jar, so that it covers the tops of the pickles.

What? Are you serious? Is it really September already? I have been SO busy with flower quilts and pickles, which I dare say, are still looming large in front of me right now, that I plum forgot to whip up a BONUS pattern for this month. So...that calls for Backup Plan #2...which is also a shameless plug for my little embroidery book that this stitchery was hijacked from. I hope that ain't cheatin'. Afterall, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.